Brace yourself! February has a tendency to put us into a little bit of a "rut"...

Don't fret! Meal Expert and Holistic Health Coach, Leah Somers, has some words of encouragement to get you off to the right (second) start:

As we move from the high the of holidays and New Year’s Resolution’s hype we start to slow waaaaaaaaaaaay down. The weather isn’t as warm as we would like to keep up our spirits of moving our bodies and the nights offer a welcoming invitation to warm up with a hot toddy and comfort foods. (Cue the "mmmmmmmhhhhh" sigh)

In January, we are feeling like the rock star! The January chatter sound like this, “I got this, I can see my new jeans coming, by May I’ll be ready to put shorts on and run outside, I am going to go out no matter what the weather is, I can do this, clean eating- it’s the only way, I’ll juice every morning, I am going to have more energy, I am pumped!, drinks only on Friday’s, I’m so focused, I’ll walk to the store instead of drive, I’ll play outside with the kids, I’ll use the baby as my weight ball, it’s ok that I missed today, I have the whole week.”

We truly are motivated, we do want the change, we have the will power. The first week we are perfection. The second week we are pretty good, the third week we get a cold/flu that puts us down for 2 weeks. Probably could have gotten back into it in a week, but now the people are sick. Depending how many people you have, depends on how long you are out of the game. (Cue the "awwwwwwww" missed the goal)

Here we are in the beginning of Funky February feeling like a fail. The February chatter sounds like this, “UGH I am 2 weeks out of my commitment, well Monday is a good day for a hot toddy- it is freezing out, ok first thing in the morning I’m going for a walk no matter what, it’s too dark out, whaaaaa I wanted my new jeans by now, ugh only 8 more weeks and I should have been able to wear shorts, I feel so far behind, the house is a mess, it’s Friday I’m tired- ordering pizza, ok tomorrow I will get out first thing in the morning”…

Sound familiar? We all do it to some extent or another, it’s called “My body should naturally be hibernating” We start seeing our “should BE’s” and forgetting the progress doesn’t happen overnight. In February, it is the time of romance and love. We tend to forget that we need to treat OURSELVES with romance and love too. Creating a space for forgiveness is a beautiful place to start. We are not in yesterday anymore, so forgive ourselves for that and see a blessing in the now. If we jump to fast too far ahead of our structured routine, we tend to fall back into old patterns. The mind starts in with the “should BE’s” and we run out of space for the blessings we have right here and now. That all come with self-forgiveness. Give yourself these Valentine’s gifts, patience, kindness, forgiveness.

We ALL want to create a healthier lifestyle. That’s great! How? One baby step at a time. Getting organized ahead of time. Meal Planning, done for you grocery lists, meal prepping, creating time to just be. As we choose to plan ahead we do create more time for the long-term goals, like 30-60 min a day, or every other, of exercise, we will be less tired when it comes time to creating food for the people because it’s all planned out, prepared, and all we have to do is execute.

Use an accountability buddy. It is always more motivating to stay on track when someone is on the same page. In today’s times, there are dozens of Facebook groups, friends that are far away can do it together with technology, Health Coaches, joining a gym, walking groups, cooking classes, Mealgarden.com. The key is to find a way for the change to be fun and inviting.

This is a true story! It really works. I know because this is me right now. Yes, I am a holistic health coach, Wellness Cooking Instructor, Meal Planner, Expert for Meal Garden. As my accountability buddy I joined a 12-week fitness challenge January 1st!!! Well, you read my story above. So here I sit in my February Funk writing to remind everyone of the self-forgiveness that is most important. I am on my 3rd week of no exercise (ssshhhhh don’t tell my trainer) and today I am ok with that because I know I am doing the best that I can right now. And yes, I do plan to get going again this week as my cough is pretty much gone so I won’t pass out from an epic phlegm attack. (que the church bells, this was a doozy of a cold!) I have managed to keep my eating on track and my meals planned and prepped. One step at a time. Just be.